Seoul Patrol: South Koreans Hooked on Lacrosse

PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- The national anthem
is an emotional moment for many players at the World Cup.

Gina Oliver, the tough-as-nails American defender, cried when
The Star-Spangled Banner played before the game against
England. More than being named to the team or putting on the
uniform for the first time, that quiet moment of reflection with
the swelling music in your ears and the rippling flag before your
eyes seems to drive home the fact that you are representing your
whole country.

That realization was especially poignant for the South Korean
team, which is playing in international competition for the first
time. Just being in Prague is an accomplishment for a program that
got its formal membership into the then-IWCLA in 2007.

"We were dreaming of this for two years," said attacker JinA
Bae. "We're actually representing our country even if we're not yet
the best players in the world. This is a 'Chapter 1' moment in
Korean lacrosse history and we were honored to be a part of it."

Bae, a South Korean citizen, discovered lacrosse when she went
to boarding school at St. James School (Md.) and Lawrenceville Prep
(N.J.). The former tennis player was intrigued by the fast-moving
game. South Korea is a thoroughly Westernized country, and there's
little in the States or in Europe that you can't find in Seoul.
Lacrosse was an exception.

"When I first learned to catch, it was so special to me. I never
thought I could get used to it," said Bae, 20.

Bae returned to South Korea after her sophomore year at
Lawrenceville and threw herself into working with the Korean
Lacrosse Association. According to the World Cup's official
program, the KLA currently has 800 members, the vast majority of
which are men. But the women's game is growing, expanding from four
to six teams in 2008.

"We try to carry sticks around wherever we go to be seen as much
as possible," said Bae, who currently attends Yale and plays on the
Bulldogs' club lacrosse team.

Defender EunAh Choi, is Team Korea's Ironwoman. A dedicated
athlete with the highest fitness level on the team, Choi has been
playing lacrosse for just two years. She saw a game and was
mesmerized.

"Lacrosse is an amazing sport and we feel we should spread it,"
said Choi, via Bae's translation.

Choi is a physical education major at Kyung Hee University and
has zeroed in on the best way to expand the game: starting
elementary and middle school programs. Lacrosse is currently
concentrated in college and high school club programs.

"We also need more coaching help," said Choi, 19.

South Korea currently relies on clinics with Japanese players
and well-traveled enthusiasts like Bae to learn the game.

(People interested in helping the KLA should visit the
organization's website at www.lacrosse.or.kr.)

South Korea got off to a slow start at its first international
tournament, losing 22-0 to Ireland in its opening game. But that
doesn't discourage either Choi or Bae about the future of the game
in their country.

"It's a very warm environment [at the tournament]. Seeking the
amazing stick skills, it gives us something to aim for," said Choi.

While patriotism runs deep for everyone at the World Cup, the
South Koreans are also aware that they are serving as goodwill
ambassadors for their nation at a time when the eyes of the world
are nervously fixed on the Korean peninsula and the growing nuclear
threat from Kim Jong Il's totalitarian regime in North Korea.

Bae, an ethics, politics and economics major at Yale, envisions
a future when Korea will play -- and win -- under a unified flag.

"I want to work on reunification. When the time comes, we'll
have the whole country represented," said Bae.